Opp and Covington County students will have fewer holidays next school year, thanks to the state legislature’s Flexible School calendar bill.

Opp City Schools had previously passed an academic calendar that set the school start date on Aug. 3, but the new law requires schools to start no earlier than Aug. 20 and end May 24.

The board was required to make changes to comply with the new law.

“We essentially have a unified calendar across the board with Andalusia and the county schools,” Superintendent Michael Smithart said.

Students will return to school on Aug. 20 and will now only have vacation days on Labor Day, Veterans Day and three days for Thanksgiving, and Dec. 24 through Jan. 2 for Christmas break.

With the new calendar, students lose a weeklong fall break; two days at Thanksgiving and three days at Christmas.

During the second semester, students will receive Martin Luther King Jr. day out of school and Spring Break will be March 25-29.

Students lost only an April 26 weather day during the spring semester.

In-service dates, which are days teachers report to school, and students do not, include Aug. 13-17 and Jan. 2 and May 24.